Extensible sleeve-fastenee



E. A. HOOT.

EXTENSIBLE SLEEVE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. ma

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Ernest/1.11005 ERNEST A. HOOT, OF SPQKANE, WASHINGTON.

EXTENSIBLE SLEEVE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,896.

To all whom it may concern:

3e it known that I, Ennns'r A. How, a cltlzen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Sleeve-Fasteners, of which the following 1s a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in sleeve fasteners which are more commonly known as cull? buttons in which two buttons of an ornamental character are connected to each other to hold the margins of a cuff in close relation.

A cuff, when buttoned, usually fits relatively loosely about the wrist of the wearer but the cuff can not be removed over the hand, in taking off the shirt, or raised upwardly along the larger portions of the arm Without removing the cuff buttons and opening out the cuff It is an object of my invention to yieldingly connect the buttons forming a sleeve fastener so that when the cuff is drawn upwardly toward the elbow or oil" from the hand, the buttons will spread apart owing to the elastic connection with which they are united thereby avoiding the necessity of removing the sleeve fastener under such conditions.

Because of the relatively short life of rubber elastic material, even of the better grade, I prefer to corinect the buttons of the sleeve fastener by a spiral spring formed, preferably, of a high grade of metal such as is generally used in jewelry manufacturing, the spring being preferably constructed so that when it is neutral ornot under tension, its convolutions will be in abutting relation so that it will simulate the flexibly connected link cuffs which are now in prevalent use,

, as regards lack of rigidity which characterized the rigidly connected link buttons of the old style.

In the most improved embodiment of my invention, I prefer to cover the spiral spring with a sleeve and I desirably connect the sleeve with the buttons so as to prevent the coils of the spring from contracting on the edges of the button holcs of the cull thereby causing the buttons to objectionably project loosely outside of the edge of the cuii'. In this connection,- one embodiment of this feature comprises an elastic tubing which Is sleeved over the spiral spring and which has preferably a maximum extent of elasticity, in excess of the maximum extent of elasticity of the spring, so that practically no stress will be applied to the elastic tubmg except that stress under which the elastie tubing is extended beyond a neutral position' thereby imposing any considerable stress upon the spring itself which will be 7 strong enough to sustain any ordinary load.

Another embodiment of my invention involves a tubular covering which is sleeved over the spring and which is of an in-elastic character so that when a relatively delicate spring is desired, the in-clastic tubing will limit the spread of the buttons beyond a predetermined extent. 1

Other features and objects of the inven tion will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1' is a view in elevation showing my improved sleeve fastener in a contracted or neutral position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the .same extended. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one end of Fig. 2 showing the position which the spring would'assume when the parts are extended. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of Fig. 1' showing the position which the spring would assume when the parts are in a contracted or neutral position. Fig. 5 is a sectional .view (it a modified form oi the invention in which the tubular covering is iii-elastic.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the difi'erent figures of the drawing.

As illustrated, 1 designates the buttons. the ornamental faces 2 of which may be of any preferred style or configuration and the mounts or bases of which indicated at 3. Projecting inwardly from the mounts are sockets 4% which are preferably annularl y recessed, as indicated at 5. The mount of each button is also provided with a spring fastener which may be in the form of eye (3 projecting inwardly from the mount .practically centrally within the socket 4:.

To each fastener-I conn ct one end 7, of a spiral or coil spring 8 which is preferably so constructed that when the buttons 1 are in a collapsed or neutral position, as shown in Fig. 1, the convolutions of the spring 8 will lie in abutting relation, as shown in Fig. 4.

In some embodiments of my invention, especially in the more expensive buttons where the spring may be plated so as to render the same ornamental, I may use a spiral spring without the auxiliary feature which I am about to describe. However, it is important, from an ornamental and also a structural point of view, to so connect the ends of the spring with the button in a manner tosubstantially conceal the point of connection and therefore I consider it a feature of this invention to provide-the buttons with housings, which may be in the form of sockets 4, whereby the point of connection of the ends of the spring with the buttons may be concealed. However, in some embodiments, such connections may be formed with a sufficiently neat appearance to avoid the feature of concealing the same. In any event, in cases where the spring alone is employed, the spring will desirably be pivotally connected with the buttons in such a manner as to provide for the flexibility afforded by link connected buttons now in use.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I preferably cover the spring 8 by tubular sleeve 9 which may or may not be of elastic material. In order that too much strain may not be placed upon the elastic sleeve I preferably provide such a sleeve having a maximum elasticity of elongation in excess of 'the elasticity ofelongation of the spring 8, so that the sustain the greatest stress. I likewise preferabl y make the sleeve 9 somewhat greater in diameter than the spring 8 so as to lessen the possibility of the sleeve folding and being pressed between abutting convolutions of the spring 8 when the latter is contracted to the neutral position shown in Fig. 4. Devices are shown for connecting the ends of the elastic sleeve 9 with the buttons, and said devices may be in the form of spring clips 10 adapted to be sprung about the ends of the sleeve so as to grip the same and coin press portions of the ends of the sleeve into the annular recesses 5, thereby securely holding the ends of the sleeve in connection with u: buttons. The spring clips 10, whose ends will meet practically ,as shown in Fig. l, at, ll, permits the sleeve to readily be removed and a new sleeve inserted, when desired.

In Fig. 5, I have shown an iii-elastic sleeve 12 having sufficient slack when the buttons are in a neutral or contracted position sons to permit of expansion of the spring 1.3. This form of my invention will be especially serviceable in connection with latter will always to allow-for the utmost sprcading movement to which the cuff links would ordinarily be subjected and therefore the necessary slack of the sleeve'l2, if the same were made of, sufliciently thin material, could be readily provided without being obj eetionable on the ground of 'appearance. This'is especially so by reason of the vided for connecting the buttons to each other is not usually visible from the exterior of the cuff. A further advantage of the sleeve would be that the latter protects the edges of the button hole from becoming inserted between the convolutions of the spring in such a manner as to cause either of the buttons to objectionably project laterally from the side of the cuff.

Irrespective of the character of thesleeve, where the same is capable of allowing extensibility, I consider that I am the first to connect two cuff buttons by a spiral spring and cover the spring with a tubular sleeve. I also consider that I. am the first to connect the ends of a spiral spring with cuff buttons, broadly. WVhile I have herein shown and described specific forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. In a sleeve fastening, a pair of buttons, a spiral spring connected with said buttons and constructed to contract to a neutral position with its convolutions in abutting rclation to hold said buttons in normally contracted relation or permit said buttons'to be spread apart from each other, and an elastic sleeve covering said spring and secured at its ends to said buttons to inclose said spring either under tension or contraction, said sleeve having a maximum elasticlength greater than the maximum elastic length of the spring, substantially as described.

2. In a sleeve fastener, a pair of buttons, a spiral spring connected with said buttonsand constructed to contract to a neutral position with its convolutions in abutting relation to hold said buttons in normally contracted relation or permit said buttons to be spread apart, from each other, and each button being provided with a housing inclosing the point of connection of the spiral spring to said button, and a sleeve structure covering said spring and telescopically fitted on said housing and being retained by a fact that the means pro-'.

spring eolla r 'l'ore'ing the sleeve into a groove provided on the housing, said sleeve having a maximum elasti length greater than the elastic length of the spring, substani ially as described.

3. In a sleeve fastener, a pair of buttons, a spiral spring (-onneeted with said buttons, each button being provided with means for housing the points of connection of the spring with the button, and an elastic sleeve eovering said spring and having its ends supported over said housing, and a spring hand provided to securely engage the two pa rts in fixed relation thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

ERNEST A. H OUT. 

